Customs data showed that China’s total import volume of other antimony ores and concentrates from January to February 2024 was 8901.48 tons, a slight decrease of 3.8% year-on-year. However, since 1,019.86 tons of antimony ore and its concentrate were exported in February last year, there was a slight year-on-year increase in net import volume.
Market participants said that after the Chinese New Year, especially after the Lantern Festival, the antimony market entered a period of consolidation after rapid price increases. However, short-term fluctuations do not affect the general trend at all. Since the use of antimony in the photovoltaic industry is expected to remain hot, the recent trend of antimony prices is purely an adjustment in the process of rising. Some market participants believe that the current supply of antimony trioxide raw materials, antimony ores or antimony ingots has been tight. Some manufacturers and traders who stocked up on goods before the Chinese New Year have seen the recent stagnation in prices and have seen sell-offs. The situation of cashing out the goods is also normal behavior. Major manufacturers are still optimistic about the market outlook. Therefore, the short-term trend is mainly weak and stable, but the long-term trend of antimony prices is still optimistic. Some market participants said that antimony ingot production dropped significantly in February and there was a serious shortage of antimony trioxide raw materials in March, which supported the firm and stable price of antimony trioxide. Antimony ore raw materials continue to be tight, and smelting companies are still reluctant to sell. In a tight supply environment, the overall market is expected to be strong in the long run. Therefore, even if the market price weakens, the extent will be very limited. As raw materials are currently more concentrated in large manufacturers, the recent batch of Myanmar ores has been delivered to some large manufacturers. It is unlikely that many other manufacturers will be able to reach full production or even resume production. It is rumored that environmental protection inspection in Hunan began on March 13, and the central environmental task force may also conduct a third round of inspections in late April. The operating rates of antimony products are still worrying.
